Pokemon: A New Journey in Hoenn!
by PhoenixAndWolf
Summary: A young man named Cole Richards has just graduated and earned the right to become a Pokemon trainer. But which Pokemon will he end up with? Will he and his new Pokemon get along? What sort of adventures might he have on his journey? Find out by reading!
1. Chapter 1

Okay, just so everybody knows, I do not own Pokemon or have any sort of affiliation with it. All of the OCs in the story belong to me; characters and Pokemon from the game such as, for example, Professor Birch and Pikachu, belong to Nintendo and Gamefreak. Otherwise... enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter One: Late For An Appointment**

"Damn it, why didn't my alarm clock wake me up?! Man, I knew I shouldn't have gone to that stupid graduation party!"

Cole Richards cursed his lame alarm clock as he hastily cleaned himself up for his special appointment. His parents had arranged a meeting with Professor Birch for Cole to receive his own Pokemon on the day after his high school graduation. Unfortunately, one of Cole's best friends dragged him off to a graduation party, and when he returned home later that night, he had fallen asleep the instant his body hit the bed. By the time he woke up, he was already forty-five minutes late for the appointment.

Hurrying as quickly as he possibly could, Cole forced himself to be washed, shaved, and dressed in the next five minutes. He remembered that his dad had told him that the weather would be rather chilly today, so he pulled a blue collared shirt over his black Tee, and for good measure slipped on his favorite blue-jean jacket. _That ought to keep me at least a little warm_, he thought pleasantly to himself. He shoved his hands into two black gloves, wrapped a scarf around his neck and, seeing as he figured he wouldn't be any warmer even if he tried, ran out of his bedroom and headed toward the front door. Both of his parents were absent from the house, so hopefully his late wake-up call would go unnoticed.

After deciding to make a quick stop in the kitchen and shoving two slices of bread into his mouth, Cole went to the front door of the house, exited the house, and locked the door behind him.

"If I run as fast as I can, I should make it to Professor Birch's house in thirty minutes, tops."

So Cole immediately took off down the street, sprinting as fast as he possibly could. The cold wind blew through his dark brown hair and chilled his face; he knew that he'd have to deal with the wind burn later, but he had to get to Professor Birch's laboratory before he was totally screwed. As Cole ran, he started to think of what Pokemon he should choose. From what he had heard, Birch was the only professor who gave trainers the option to choose between the three Hoenn-exclusive Pokemon Torchic, Treecko, and Mudkip. Cole knew each of those Pokemons' evolutions and the fighting potential that each Pokemon possessed, and since each one was so awesome in its own right, choosing only one was going to be a very difficult decision.

_Torchic evolves into Combusken and Blaziken, each of which are top-notch fire and fighting Pokemon; Blaziken can even take on such powerful fighters like Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Lucario. Treecko will eventually become Sceptile, which is supposed to be an incredibly agile grass Pokemon. My dad said that its power could rival that of a dragon Pokemon… that's just insane, though. Then there is Mudkip, who evolves into Marshtomp and the powerful Swampert. Such great Pokemon, all of them, and it's amazing how they are can so strong and still be considered starters…_

It was aggravating how Professor Birch lived out in the grassy outskirts of Littleroot Town. Birch was known as one of the youngest and most brilliant Pokemon professors in the world, as well as one of the few professors who was actually very physical in his research. Since he was still very young for a professor, Birch preferred to experience Pokemon in their habitats up close and often resorted to taking long excursions in the wild. To catch him working in his laboratory was often a rare occasion worthy of celebration.

The road that led from Cole's house, which was just barely within the limits of the town itself, to the professor's lab passed through a hilly grassland that stretched as far as the Petalburg Woods. Wild Pokemon inhabited these grasslands, and as the young man ran the path, he could make out several different Pokemon: a flock of Taillow swarmed overhead, probably searching for this morning's breakfast; a pair of Linoone fed their baby Zigzagoon a couple of berries; and he could even hear the quiet murmurings of a Wurmple spinning its string shot. It was simply amazing to watch and listen to the goings-on of Pokemon, but as much as Cole wished he could admire them for a bit longer, he continued to press forward to the professor's lab.

A couple of minutes more, Cole realized he could hear a voice somewhere off to his right. Despite the fact that he was pressed for time, he could not shake the feeling that the voice, however distant, sounded rather familiar. Taking just a second to check out the source of the voice, Cole left the road and cautiously walked into the tall grass. With each step the voice got louder and a little more discernable. Cole started to think that he was being silly; after all, it was not as if it was uncommon to hear people talk to others or even themselves in the wild. So why in the world was he so curious about who was speaking now?

When Cole climbed out of the tall grass, he finally saw the person doing all of the talking: a somewhat tall, broad-shouldered man in a white lab coat and khaki shorts, complete with sandals. The man was bent over on one knee, examining a plant with little purple berries. "These Oran berries will be just perfect for the Pokemon! I'm also sure that they would be wonderful in pies… hmm, that would be interesting: Oran-berry pies! Scrumptious delights for both Pokemon and humans! Wow, I may have very well invented the newest food trend! Poke-pies all around!" Professor Birch laughed heartedly as he started picking the berries from the plant. Cole simply stood in his place, dumbstruck.

"Um, Professor Birch? What exactly are you doing?"

The professor turned around to acknowledge Cole and smiled widely at the sight of him. "Cole, my boy! How marvelous to see you!" Birch stood up and walked over to Cole, shaking his hand which, Cole noticed afterward, was now covered in sticky berry juice. "I see that you caught me in the middle of my research. I came out here initially to make a short documentary of the Pokemon in their natural habitats, but instead got caught up in admiring the plant life." The professor chuckled at his own eccentric behavior and then asked, "So what can I do for you?"

Cole grinned slightly. "My parents made the appointment for you to give me my first Pokemon, remember?"

Birch slapped his own forehead and laughed. "Ho-ho! I completely forgot about that! Yes, I see now. Okay. Well then, let's make our way back to my lab, shall we? I believe my research out here is complete for today; I have been outside all day since four o' clock this morning," he added as he grabbed his large brown shoulder bag and escorted Cole back to the main road.

"Why were you out so early, Professor?" Cole asked disbelievingly. He himself never got up that early.

Birch smiled and scratched his bearded chin; Cole realized that, despite the professor's youth, his hair had several light grey spots. "I'm a Pokemon professor, Cole. Aside from my own family, my greatest love in the world is Pokemon. Being able to see Pokemon act in their own environments, behaving on their own without human interference: that is something I have come to delight in over the course of my short life. Of course, being paid for my work and efforts is fine and dandy; it gives me a way to provide for my family and let them live good, comfortable lives. But even if I wasn't paid for it, I could not dream of doing anything else other than what I am now. That is how much Pokemon mean to me."


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, just so everybody knows, I do not own Pokemon or have any sort of affiliation with it. All of the OCs in the story belong to me; characters and Pokemon from the game such as, for example, Professor Birch and Pikachu, belong to Nintendo and Gamefreak. Otherwise... enjoy!

**Chapter Two: Appointment Disappointment**

As Cole and Professor Birch walked along the road toward the laboratory, they conversed back and forth on a plethora of different topics: Birch told the young soon-to-be trainer about his fellow colleagues who worked alongside him in the many different fields of Pokemon scientology; about the behavioral natures of Pokemon, their habitats, and preferred environments; and even mundane subjects such as the past week's weather and the perils of cleaning a laboratory without breaking or destroying anything in the process. They shared information about different species of Pokemon, talked about their favorite Pokemon, and swapped humorous stories. Cole felt at ease while talking with the professor; though Birch was in his early to mid thirties, he still had the energy of a teenager and also acted like one when he got excited. Cole was happy that their families were close, otherwise there was no telling when he might have been able to get his first Pokemon.

"Well, here we are," Birch announced finally as the domed top of the laboratory building came into view. Cole realized that the professor had made several renovations to the main building in the past couple of years, as the roof had originally not been domed, and now there was a large greenhouse connected to the side of the building. _Well, at least he put all that money he made to good use. It definitely pays to be a Pokemon professor_. "Let's shake our tail-feathers, Cole. I'm sure you're anxious to choose your first Pokemon."

So the professor and Cole strode up the remainder of the road until they came to the front double-doors of the lab. Birch gave the young man a wide grin, said, "Almost time," and opened the doors. The three lab assistants inside turned their heads to the sound of the doors and all said, "Welcome back, Professor!" Cole gazed up and around the laboratory; it was much larger than he remembered. In practically every corner there were high-technological machines and tables covered in lab equipment like test tubes, beakers, and the like. Incredibly detailed notes that Cole could only guess were about Birch's findings and Pokemon research were strewn about the tables as well, and each assistant seemed to be looking over these notes while they conducted their business.

A young man with light brown hair, broad shoulders, and sporting an assistant's lab coat appeared from around a corner and smiled at the two arrivals. "Hey Dad, I didn't know you would be back so soon, much less bring extra company," the young man said, still smiling.

Birch grinned and scratched his head. "Yeah, well, I probably wouldn't have come back so soon if Cole hadn't drug me away," he replied, patting Cole on the back. "By the way, Terry, I found that Oran berries could be an excellent source of calcium and vitamin C. I really believe that, using them, we could start making pies and other foods that would be extremely nutritious for both humans and Pokemon!"

Terry laughed and shook his head. "Whatever you say, Dad. Oh, and Mom says that she wants you to actually come home for dinner tonight. She's tired of serving only the two of us six out of seven days a week."

"Ha ha, that's your mother for you. Yeah, I'll be there tonight. Oh yeah, Cole is here to choose his first Pokemon. Are the starters prepped and ready for their selection?"

Birch's son suddenly looked very uncomfortable; at his father's words, he averted his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck while apparently trying to think of what to say. "Um… well, the thing is…"

The professor gave Terry a very grave expression. "Son, what happened? Did any of the Pokemon try to escape?"

"No, it's not that. It's just… all of the starters have already been chosen."

"What?!" both Cole and Birch exclaimed at the same time. "You mean that all twenty-one Pokemon have been chosen since this morning?" Birch demanded, not sounding angry but rather surprised.

Terry chuckled weakly. "Yeah, I'm honestly just as surprised as you are, Dad. I think it was the entire senior class of Oakwood Heights High School. I heard that they graduated last night. Say, isn't that your school, Cole?"

But Cole just looked away from the professor and Terry. He simply couldn't believe that all of his fellow graduates had managed to get their Pokemon before he could. _And some of them were crazy as hell last night! How in the world had they managed to wake up earlier than me?_ But there was not anything that he could do now. He would have to wait until Professor Birch restocked his Pokemon before he could get his own.

"Tell you what, Professor," Cole said quietly as he turned around and started to head back to the front doors. "Just give my parents the call when you have some more Pokemon. I'll be sure not to be late next time."

Birch rubbed his neck as he watched Cole walk off, feeling badly for the young man. He wished that there was something that he could do; after all, he knew exactly how it felt to be disappointed in not being able to choose your first Pokemon. But it was not as if he could just pull a Pokemon out of his - _Wait just a second_, Birch thought. _There is_ **that** _Pokemon… the only question is, would Cole even want it, and if he does, how well could he handle it?_

Just as Cole had begun opening one of the doors, Birch ran up to him and said, "Don't leave just yet. I do have one Pokemon left. All that's needed is for you to choose to keep it."

Cole was surprised to hear the professor say that he had one Pokemon left, but to hear him say the words brought a humongous grin to the young man's face. "Of course, I'll take it! Just show it to me!" he replied happily, his expression and excitement reminding Birch of a three-year-old who had just received the greatest present in the world.

Birch laughed and said, "Alright then, just follow me," and started walking to the right of the doors, toward a small series of stairs. The professor, Cole, and Terry all climbed the stairs which led to another door, which Birch opened to reveal his office. The room was rather untidy, resembling the tables downstairs in that papers and notes covered the single table in the room. Two bookshelves in two of the room's corners were packed with books ranging on different subjects, mostly relating to, of course, Pokemon. Picture frames adorned the walls of the office, depicting Professor Birch with different Pokemon and people. Cole happened to notice a group photo of Professor Birch standing alongside several other professors: Oak, Elm, and Rowan, from the looks of it. Cole was impressed that Birch knew all of them, but he wasn't surprised; they were geniuses in Pokemon research, so obviously their paths would have crossed somehow.

"So, where is it?" he asked excitedly. "Where is the Pokemon?"

Birch smiled and walked behind his desk, moving his hand slowly along the top, pushing some of the papers to the side as he did so. His hand then moved to a drawer and opened it up, dug inside, and then pulled out a standard white and red Pokeball. Cole stared at the ball as if it was the Holy Grail itself. His heart began to beat faster, anticipating the moment when he could take control of the Pokemon within the ball.

_I just can't believe it. This is really happening, I'm about to get my first Pokemon!_

The professor walked back around his desk and moved to stand between it and Cole. He gave the young man a smile and said, "Now Cole, I have to tell you: if you choose this Pokemon, then it is your partner. No 'ands', 'ifs', or 'buts'. Do you understand?"

"Yes, yes, I do!" Cole exclaimed, his face alive with the energy of a young child.

"Um, Dad, are you sure that you should give him that Poke-?" Terry started to ask before he saw Birch shake his head.

"It's his choice, Terry," Birch told his son, and then, with one press of the button on the Pokeball, released the Pokemon.

When the Pokeball opened, a red glow erupted from the inside and shot toward the floor. Slowly it began to take the shape of a Pokemon, and before it had even formed, Cole was already trying to predict which Pokemon it would be. _It could be Mudkip, yeah it could be - no, no, it couldn't be Mudkip. Maybe, maybe it's Torchic. Yeah! It has to be Torchic! It's forming, it's forming-!_

Then a tiny voice asked softly, "Ralts?"

Cole stared at the Pokemon in shock. It stood up to about his knee, looking as if its entire body was a little white dress. What seemed to be the Pokemon's hair more closely resembled a lime green helmet with two rounded red "horns" protruding from the front and back of the helmet. The Pokemon looked up at him curiously, its melancholy purple eyes staring up at him from beneath its helmet.

"Ralts?" the Pokemon asked again.

"My starter Pokemon… is a Ralts?" Cole asked, looking at the professor in disbelief.

Birch nodded. "Yes, Cole. Your starter is a female Ralts. When I caught her originally, I had planned on conducting some research to see how powerful a young Ralts is. But I think that she might do better under your supervision."

"But, Professor! It's - she's not a regular starter! Besides that, Ralts isn't…"

"What, not strong? Weak-looking? Timid? Shy? Cole, are you telling me that you wanted a Pokemon that you could brag about? One that was not only strong but looked cool as well?" Birch approached Cole and placed his hands on Cole's shoulders, looking him in the eye. "You should know better than anyone not to judge a Pokemon simply by its appearance or gender. Ralts is your responsibility now, but I can guarantee that if you train her well and believe in her power, then the bond the two of you forge will be stronger than anything you could possibly imagine. Trust in her, Cole. Hidden behind that tiny exterior of hers lies a great power, and with great power comes great responsibility. Am I right?"

Cole looked at the tiny Pokemon, who simply stared up at him with that quizzical look on her face. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed; this was not quite how he had expected this appointment to turn out, but that did not mean he could not make the best of it. He turned his eyes to Professor Birch's and said, "I understand, sir. I'll look after Ralts."

Birch smiled and clapped Cole on the shoulders again. "I'm glad then, my young friend. Oh! Don't forget these." The professor thrust his hands into the thick pockets of his lab coat and pulled out five Pokeballs and a small red Pokedex. He handed the balls, including Ralts's, to Cole, and then asked, "Can I see your Trainer Identification?" Cole gave him his ID and Birch slid the ID into the side of the Pokedex, which made the little machine give off a little _Beep!_ After about a minute or so of typing on the Pokedex, he finally handed it to Cole, saying, "I programmed your ID into the 'Dex. That way, it will recognize you as its owner and should you ever lose it, the Pokedex will not activate for anyone until you find it. Otherwise, you are officially a Pokemon Trainer, Cole Richards."

The young man smiled and shook the professor's hand. "Thank you, Professor. I promise to take care of Ralts."

Birch grinned. "I believe you, Cole. Just do your best and I'm sure that you will become a great trainer one day. Now, go! Your adventure with Pokemon awaits!"

Cole nodded and pointed Ralts's Pokeball at her. "Well, are you ready to start a journey with me, Ralts?"

Ralts hopped over to his right leg and, looking up at him from below, actually seemed to smile. "Ralts!" she seemed to say in agreement. Then Cole pressed the button and Ralts disappeared into the Pokeball. He bid farewell to the Professor and Terry and exited the room, and soon he was back on the path outside, going toward his house.

From inside the lab, Terry looked at his father. "Dad, do you think he can really take care of Ralts? I mean, a trainer has to have a good spirit in order for Ralts to become strong."

Birch laughed. "I think that if anybody can bring out Ralts's true power, Cole can do it."


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, just so everybody knows, I do not own Pokemon or have any sort of affiliation with it. All of the OCs in the story belong to me; characters and Pokemon from the game such as, for example, Professor Birch and Pikachu, belong to Nintendo and Gamefreak. Otherwise... enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Three: A Boy And His Ralts**

Upon leaving the laboratory, Cole decided that he and Ralts should spend some time together. He was still a little surprised about his starter; after all, not many Pokemon trainers started out with a Ralts, right? But besides that, he knew that he was going to be the butt of a few jokes, which did not please him in the slightest. All of his friends and classmates who got their Mudkips, Torchics, and Treeckos would obviously treat him as the odd man out, being the only person who had a different starter. "Well, I guess I ought to try and make the best of it," he told himself as he pulled out Ralts's Pokeball and pressed the button to release it.

"Ralts!" the tiny Pokemon spoke once fully manifested.

Cole smiled; his newfound partner was cute, he gave it that much. "Hey Ralts, you feel like getting some fresh air with me?" He reached out his hand to pet Ralts, but as his hand was about to touch her head, she quickly pulled back, as if afraid of him.

"What are you afraid of?" Cole put out his hand again, but Ralts pulled back just the same. Then she turned around and began hopping into the grass, toward the forest.

"H-hey! You can't do that! Come back!" Cole took off after his first Pokemon, and he was surprised by how fast Ralts could hop. "This is not how I expected us to start out…" he grumbled as he tried calling Ralts back to her Pokeball, pressing the container's button and simply hoping that Ralts would not teleport away from him. Eventually, after a good five minutes or so of running after the little Pokemon, Cole got lucky and the Pokeball caught Ralts in mid-hop, trapping her in the ball's red light and sending her back into the container.

The young trainer breathed a sigh of relief and held the Pokeball in his right hand. "We're going to have to work on cooperating with one another," he told the ball. With his Pokemon finally back in his possession, Cole ran through the grass to the main road and began following it back to town.

* * *

"Cole, honey, you're home!"

Cole's mother Dahlia welcomed him at the front door with a big hug, as if he had been gone for the past year. She brought him inside the house and led him down the main hall into the living room, where his father, grandparents and older sister sat waiting for him, along with all of their own Pokemon. His father, Elliot, resided in his favorite armchair in the far east corner of the room. An old Mightyena lay down at Elliot's feet, calmly watching Cole and Dahlia enter the room. Grandma and Grandpa Richards, as well as Cole's sister, all sat on a warm vanilla-colored sofa against the farthest wall. The elderly couple's Pokemon, Skitty and Shroomish respectively, were nestled into their laps; Skitty let out a quiet yawn as she woke up from a nap.

The sister, Brooke, sat on the end of the couch, next to Grandma. Her Pokemon, Umbreon, stood on all fours beside the sofa, its dark fur brightened by the sunlight peering through the windows. Brooke gave her Pokemon a pet on the head before addressing her little brother. "Well congrats on your graduation, Cole. I just got in town this morning and came right over when Mom told me that you were going to be getting your very first Pokemon," she told him. "It's hard making my way from Dewford Town in such a short amount of time. So, which Pokemon did you get?"

"Yes, Cole!" Grandpa spoke up, grinning a toothy grin from ear to ear. "I'm anxious to see what you chose at Professor Birch's."

"Come on, son. Show us what you chose," Elliot added as his wife walked over and stood beside him.

Cole gave a little sigh; he did not know how his family was going to react to Ralts. But they all seemed pretty excited to see the newest addition to the family, so he decided to give them what they wanted. "Well, okay… Come on out." He raised the Pokeball and pressed the button. In a few seconds, the tiny white and green form of Ralts appeared before the family, announcing her arrival with a great big "Ralts!"

The family stared at the Pokemon in quiet shock; even Elliot's Mightyena was giving little Ralts a puzzled look. Soon Ralts began to feel uncomfortable with being stared at by so many people, and she hopped back to Cole's side, clinging to his jeans leg as if afraid that she would be attacked. Cole could not quite understand why she might be so afraid of his family, but he had to admit that even he would feel uncomfortable if forced to bear his family's gaze.

"Um… honey?" Dahlia spoke up, her curly brown hair seeming to droop down around her face in disappointment. She held Elliot's hand in her right hand and scratched her head with her left. "Not that I am, um… complaining or anything about your s-starter, but, well, shouldn't you have some sort of other Pokemon?"

Cole furrowed his brow, looking at his mother uneasily. "What do you mean? What's wrong with my Ralts?" he asked, not without a rather surprised tone. He kneeled to the floor and with one slow but smooth sweep picked Ralts up and held her close to his chest.

Elliot raised from his chair and crossed his arms, letting go of his wife's hand as he did so. "Look, Cole, it's not that we have a problem with your Ralts, but it is just that… well…"

"Well, what?" Cole asked again, this time with a little more force.

"It's a shrimp," Brooke told him, standing up as well and putting her hands on her hips. "You chose a tiny little Pokemon like that? I was expecting, you know, a Torchic or Mudkip."

"Um, well, it is a little cute," Grandma Richards said. "In a weird, human-ish sort of way."

"Do they really give out Ralts now? I'm surprised to see one, honestly," added Grandpa Richards, who seemed genuinely interested in the young Pokemon. "I mean, Ralts are so rare in these parts. They don't normally appear around humans, you know."

"Yes, I know, Grandpa," replied Cole, "But what is so bad about my Pokemon? Just because she's small and looks weak doesn't mean that she is-"

Grandma nodded. "He's absolutely right. Why, back in my day, little Skitty here could tangle with a wild Tangela and come out unscathed." The pink kitten Pokemon meowed in its owner's lap.

"That isn't the point, Mother," Elliot told the old woman. "The fact is, Cole should have received a real Pokemon, a true starter, and not some tiny little -"

"Hey, now don't you start talking about my Ralts that way!" Cole exclaimed. The anger and force behind his voice was unmistakable. "Professor Birch gave me this Pokemon, and I intend to raise it. Besides, I don't see what the hullabaloo is all about. Just because I got a different starter Pokemon doesn't mean that it is the end times or anything like that."

Grandpa Richards stood to his feet, laid his Shroomish on the couch, and walked over to Cole. The elderly man put his hands on the younger boy's shoulders and said, "Cole, you should keep that attitude and raise Ralts to the best of your ability. Your parents are just a little sore, is all."

"We are not!" Dahlia piped up, her face red as a fresh apple. "But, I think that it would be better if you simply asked the Professor for a normal starter Pokemon. We just - we just don't want you to be ostracized by your classmates -"

"Mom, Professor Birch entrusted me with this Pokemon," Cole told his mother, switching his gaze from his mom to his dad and back. "Ralts may appear weak and puny, but if the Professor thinks that she can be an asset, then I'm going to train her the best I can." Then he turned around, with Ralts still hugging his chest, and proceeded to exit the living room and walk up the stairs to his bedroom.

Elliot ran to the foot of the stairs and shouted, "Where do you think you're going, young man? Your mother and I are not finished talking with you!"

"I'm going to pack my things up," Cole yelled down the staircase. "Tomorrow I am going to start my Pokemon journey, and I'm doing it with Ralts."

With that, Cole reached his room and closed the door behind him, letting the door's sound echo throughout the house.

* * *

About an hour or two later, there was a knock at the bedroom door. Cole was not going to answer it as he figured it would be his mom or dad, but instead a different voice came from behind the door. "Cole, it's your Grandpa. Let me in, son; I'd like to talk with ya."

Cole sat up from the bed, made sure not to knock Ralts off into the floor, and made his way to the door. He opened it and Grandpa's smiling old face greeted him. Cole had always been close with his grandfather, sometimes more so than with his parents. At least the old man seemed to approve of Ralts; that was a start.

Grandpa took a look around the bedroom and laughed. "This certainly does resemble a teenager's room, I'll give you that," he said, indicating the not-so organized state of Cole's room. There was not much inside of the medium-sized room aside from the unmade queen-sized bed, a corner computer desk that was covered in various papers and little knickknacks, a very overloaded bookshelf with books stacked in front as well as on top of other books, and a long, worn brown dresser that appeared to have vomited multi-colored shirts, jeans, and other clothing items all over the floor. Above Cole's bed was a collection of Pokemon and music band posters, strewn along the tanned wall. Upon the bed sat Ralts, who had tried to dance upon the soft surface but repeatedly tripped over the blanket or her own "dress" and merely decided to sit for the time being. She seemed to regard Grandpa without any fear whatsoever.

The old man walked over to the bed, kneeled down beside it and gave Ralts one of his trademark smiles. "Well hello, little lady. No need to be scared of me," he told her, though the Pokemon did not show any sign of being afraid. Cole took notice of this and grinned.

"You don't frighten her; that's good," he said as he sat down beside Ralts. She did not come to his side like she had when they were downstairs; apparently, she had considered him her only means of protection against the other members of his family.

Grandpa shook his head and said to her, "Now you shouldn't be afraid of Cole. He has a good heart; you just haven't gotten used to him yet." He reached out his hands and, to Cole's surprise, picked the Pokemon up and then laid her in Cole's lap. Ralts seemed a little uncomfortable at first, but after a minute or two she finally managed to relax and laid her head against Cole's stomach. "There, you see? She just has to get used to you," said Grandpa. "Once she understands that you have a good heart, Ralts will grow more easily attached to you. That is how all Ralts are."

Cole was surprised by his grandfather's knowledge. "You really know a lot about Pokemon, don't you, Grandpa?"

Grandpa Richards smiled and stood up, moving to the end of the bed so he could sit down side Cole and Ralts. His bones could be heard creaking as he forced himself to his feet; the signs of arthritis, the grandson thought to himself. "Believe me, Cole: when you have been around Pokemon for almost your entire life as I have, and you somehow manage to reach my ripe old age, you'll find that you actually have learned quite a bit over the years," Grandpa remarked with a chuckle. He ran a hand through his graying hair, which surprisingly still had some dark brown hidden amongst the white. "I have run across several Ralts in my seventy-plus years of living, so I made a note to learn about them. Considering that you are a new trainer and Ralts is your first Pokemon, I'd suggest listening to some rather sage advice from your favorite grandfather, eh?"

Cole grinned and nodded. "Yeah. Teach away, Grandpa." Ralts stirred in his lap; she had fallen asleep sooner than expected. Her warmth was assuring to her young master.

"Very well." Grandpa cleared his throat. "Ralts are, as you might or may not have noticed, psychic Pokemon. They possess great power even in their youngest stages, but they are normally rather peaceful creatures, avoiding hostility as much as they possibly can by teleporting to safety. You understand the concept of teleporting?"

"Yes," Cole replied. "We learned it a long time ago in middle school, I think. Psychic Pokemon are sometimes gifted with the ability to move their bodies to another place using only their mind. Teleportation usually happen in mere seconds, but I've only heard about it. I have never actually seen a Pokemon use teleportation…"

"Well, you will soon enough." Grandpa gave Cole a quick wink. "There's no doubt in my mind that Ralts will make use of her teleportation technique. You might even consider using it while in battle, as it might catch your opponent off guard and give you a split-second chance to counter-attack. Also, once you visit a place and Ralts becomes acquainted with it, if her power is strong enough, she might be able to transport herself over great distances. Why, she could even take you with her when she reaches higher levels of power!"

Cole gave this idea some thought. The concept of teleportation just sounded so darn awesome. "Wow, that really is amazing, Grandpa. So, if Ralts was strong enough, then she might be able to teleport both of us from here to, say… Dewford Town? Or even Sootopolis?!"

The old man laughed and put his arm around Cole's shoulders. "Haha, yes, my boy. Ralts in their later levels can become quite powerful, as they need to be if they can teleport with someone else over such a great distance. But you know, don't get cocky just because you have a Pokemon with such great potential, Cole. The Ralts line of Pokemon tend to be extra sensitive to the feelings and emotions of others: in particular, their trainers. If you treat them well and have a generally good soul, then Ralts and her future evolutions will grow strong and beautiful. You won't hardly find any other Pokemon that can match its beauty and grace. On the other hand, if you are not a good person and you raise Ralts badly, both her power and beauty will wither and grow weak. Now Cole, I know that you are a truly good person; you don't like to cause unnecessary fights and, overall, you enjoy peace. But don't forget what I've told you, okay? The secret to winning your Ralts's heart, or really any girl for that matter, is simply having a good heart of your own. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Cole contemplated his grandfather's words and found that they all made perfect sense to him. Of course, Cole knew that he would not be a "good person" all of the time, but for the most part, it was not so hard to be "good", was it? "I understand, Grandpa."

"Good, good," Grandpa said with a smile, then forced himself to rise to his feet. "Come on downstairs; your mother is fixing us all a very big dinner, and I don't want to let your grandmother hog all of the juicy bits."

"Grandpa, why did Mom and Dad react so badly to Ralts?" Cole asked. "I mean, she's little and all, but that doesn't give them a right to pass judgment on her without even getting to know her."

Just before they exited the bedroom, Grandpa stopped and inclined his head toward Cole again. This time, however, he had a very serious look on his face. "Cole, I want to give you and Ralts a good send-off for when you leave tomorrow. Consider it a… a trial, of sorts. For me to see that you are ready to train a Pokemon, okay? In fact, I think I will bring out your mother and father so they can see the action up close and personal. Maybe after everything is done, they will have a little more respect towards you and the little lady, eh?"

Cole was confused, and the raised eyebrows and quizzical look on his face displayed it perfectly. "What do you mean, Grandpa? What action, what trial?"

The old man raised his own eyebrows, but showed his grandson a grin that not only seemed to give off a sort of slyness, but also hid an anxiousness that had not been felt in many, many years. "Still don't understand? Then I will make it perfectly clear for you: I challenge you to a duel. Tomorrow morning, you are going to have your very first Pokemon duel, and your opponent is going to be… well, yours truly, of course."


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, just so everybody knows, I do not own Pokemon or have any sort of affiliation with it. All of the OCs in the story belong to me; characters and Pokemon from the game such as, for example, Professor Birch and Pikachu, belong to Nintendo and Gamefreak. Otherwise... enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Four: Trial By Dawn**

The next morning introduced itself by shining a single ray of sunlight through Cole's bedroom window and into his face. For a moment the light did not bother him, but when the ray suddenly grew larger Cole awoke with a very irritated grunt. He slowly forced his sleep-filled eyes open enough to see that Ralts was now hopping her way down from the window and making her way over to his bedside. Apparently Ralts had been standing in the way of the light, and when she moved the morning light hit her trainer at full intensity into her trainer's face. Even so, the young man could not stop himself from smiling at the sight. _Ralts doesn't like the cramped space in the Pokeball; she likes being able to look out at the world around her… she also likes waking me up at six-fifty-two in the friggin' morning._

Since the bed was too high for Ralts to hop over, she closed her violet eyes and seemed to concentrate. In a few seconds she began to lift off of the wooden floor; then, once she was high enough over the bed, the invisible psychic energy carried her above the bed and suddenly released her, letting Ralts drop down beside Cole, who was now waist-out from under the bedcovers. He ran his right hand through his shaggy bed-hair, then motioned for Ralts to sit in his lap. Cautiously but eventually, the little Pokemon climbed over the mountain of blankets and made a comfortable seat on Cole's lap.

"Well Ralts," Cole told her as he yawned and tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes, "This is the big day. You and I get to start our Pokemon journey, traveling from city to city, seeing new sights, meeting new people and new Pokemon everywhere we go. What do you think of that?"

Ralts thought for a moment before letting out a happy-sounding "Ralts!"

Cole laughed; at least she seemed to be agreeing with him. It was funny how Pokemon could be so attuned to people's minds and hearts, as if they possessed a human side to their own animal instincts. He did not think half the questions he had about Pokemon could be answered even by the great Pokemon professors, like Professor Birch or even Professor Oak. "Well, that's good. But we have to get ready really soon. We won't be able to leave without participating in that battle with Grandpa. Can we do our best to work as a team?"

He extended his right hand to Ralts and, after she tilted her head and looked as if she were trying to read his mind or his heart, extended out her own hand, which Cole gently took in his and shook. He could feel the tiny little digits in her hand; the fingers could not normally been seen and the hand itself almost felt like a dog's paw. Ralts raised her head and from beneath her green hair, her eyes met and kept Cole's gaze.

Then she smiled at him. "Ralts!"

Cole smiled and replied, "Great. Now, time to get ready." He got out of bed, went over to his chest of drawers and began shuffling through his clothes, searching for the most appropriate set of clothes for this special day. After a few minutes the clothes were picked out and, with the clothes in hand, Cole proceeded to the bathroom, where he took a refreshing half-hour shower. Once finished with that, he cleaned himself up and went back to his room to change.

Soon after, there was a knock at the door. "Cole!" came his mother's voice.

"What is it?" he asked as he started pulling on some black jeans.

"Your grandfather is waiting for you outside. He said for you to come out whenever you're ready."

"Will do."

"Um, Cole?" Dahlia sounded closer to the door now.

"Yes, Mom?"

"Um… well, you see, what I wanted to say is… I hope your Pokemon can stand against your grandfather's Pokemon. Just give it your best shot, okay?"

Cole smiled; he understood what his mom was saying. "I will, Mom. Let Grandpa know I'll be down soon."

Dahlia's footsteps could be heard walking down the stairs, and Cole resumed dressing. After a minute or so, he was completely dressed in a dark blue, zipped-up shirt, his blue jean jacket, black jean pants, boots, and gloves. Taking a look at himself in his bedroom mirror, Cole grinned and told himself, "Damn, you look pretty good, my friend." He gave himself a wink and a thumbs-up sign, then scooped up Ralts in one hand and grabbed his pack of goods with the other. "Time for the action to start…" he said aloud as he exited his room without looking back.

* * *

Amazingly, the entire family was awake and waiting when Cole and Ralts finally came out of the house. Everybody had gathered on the front lawn, with Dahlia, Elliot, Brooke, and Grandma sitting in folding chairs near the driveway, and Grandpa patiently standing in the wet morning grass. The sun shined its great light over them all, hidden only slightly by the neighboring mountains and forests in the distance. Along with a crisp morning breeze and his family members' looks of anticipation, Cole could not picture a more perfect beginning to his first true day as a Pokemon trainer.

"Well, don't just stand around enjoying the scenery, get your butt over here!" Grandpa called to him with a warm laugh. Cole set Ralts in the grass and let her hop after him as he made his way to the "playing field". Elliot gave Cole a nod when he passed by, and even Brooke gave him a thumbs-up sign for good measure. Her Umbreon was still out of its Pokeball as well and sat at her feet, seeming as if it was just as interested as everyone else to see the fight. Dahlia did not make a move or say anything to Cole, but instead gave him a little smile and kept quiet.

"Okay, Cole, here is what we are going to do," Grandpa began to say as he rolled up his sleeves. "Since you only have Ralts and the purpose of this exercise is mainly to get you used to the overall mechanics of battling, I am going to start out easy on you. In the unlikely event that you defeat my Pokemon before I begin to get serious, I'll bring out another Pokemon and see how you fare against that one. Now, I don't want you to focus on defeating me. Try to become used to Ralts' techniques and work together on your teamwork. Once you feel comfortable with her…" The old man had his sleeves rolled up just above the elbows, but the expression of anticipation was clear on his face; in fact, it made him look several decades younger. "That's when the real battle will begin. Now, are you ready?"

"Good luck, Cole!" Grandma Richards cheered from the sidelines. "And don't be too hard on him, Greg!"

"Hey, little bro," said Brooke, who surprised Cole by speaking. She ran a hand through her ebony hair and smiled at him. "Just take it easy. Battling doesn't come naturally; it takes lots of practice to get really good. Keep your cool and you'll get through it."

Cole smiled back at his sister and gave her his thanks. Then, turning back to his Grandpa, said, "Okay, I'm ready."

Grandpa Richards grinned and nodded. "Then let's get it started."

Ralts hopped forward and stood about fight feet in front of Cole. From across the lawn, Grandpa moved a hand to his belt and plucked a Pokeball from it. He tossed the ball at the ground and within seconds the ball opened and released its inhabitant: the Shroomish that Cole had seen in Grandpa's lap the previous night. The grass Pokemon was just as small as Ralts, and from what Cole could tell, looked as if it had lived for quite a long while.

"This will be your first obstacle, Cole," Grandpa told him, tossing Shroomish's Pokeball up and down in his hands. "First, you should know a few of Ralts' techniques. For example, you already know that she can use Teleport, but some of her other attacks include Confusion and Double Team. I'm going to come at you with Shroomish and I'm not going to go easy on you, so you had better learn to act quickly. Shroomish, Tackle Ralts, now!"

The attack was so sudden that Cole did not realize what was happening until after the attack was complete. Shroomish charged at Ralts with surprising speed, then lowered its head and "tackled" Ralts in the chest, knocking the psychic Pokemon onto the ground.

"Ralts!" Cole cried, shocked that she had been hit so suddenly. He was about to check on her before he heard Grandpa shout, "Don't rush into the battlefield yourself, and pay attention! Shroomish, Tackle her again!"

As Shroomish began rearing for another attack, Cole gritted his teeth and, forcing his mind to think of an attack, said the first thing that came to mind: "Ralts, Teleport!" At that moment, Ralts hopped back onto her feet and disappeared just a second before Shroomish made contact with her again. She reappeared on Grandpa's side of the lawn, and Cole grinned; _that was fast thinking, _he thought to himself.

"Good, Cole! Now Shroomish, Stun Spore!"

The plant Pokemon shuddered as it began releasing its paralyzing spores into the air; Cole recognized the attack and knew that he could not let Ralts be hit by those spores. "Ralts, use Confusion!" he commanded her. At that moment, a purple aura began to envelop Ralts, and though unseen by everyone, her eyes were completely lit a dark violet. The psychic energy she released shot at Shroomish from clear across the lawn, and the grass Pokemon was flung backwards; the majority of the stun spore were caught in the attack as well, and they dissolved before they hit the grass.

Grandpa smiled from his standing point. "That's very good. I can see you are catching on faster than I expected. Then let's see what else we can pull out of our hat, shall we, Shroomish? Use Absorb, now!"

The mushroom look-alike, though clearly dazed and struggling to get over the Confusion attack, began to glow a light green and released an equally green beam at Ralts, which struck her and then disappeared. Though Cole was confused at first, he watched as Shroomish stood up, looking a tad bit stronger than it had been a few seconds ago. _That attack must have healed it, _thought Cole. _Okay, now I have two attacks that I have to watch out for…_

"Shroomish, Tackle Ralts again!"

This time, however, Cole was ready for the attack. He called out, "Use Double Team!" Immediately Ralts' body became a blur as she seemingly created multiple copies of herself; not even Cole could tell which was the real Ralts. Shroomish made contact with one of them, but charged right through it and hit its head on the ground. _Now I have it! _"Ralts, Confusion again!" The same purple energy from before flew out toward Shroomish, who was flung away again, this time towards Grandpa. The little Pokemon tried to stand back up, but with a grunt, it fell down and collapsed in the wet grass.

"YES! We did it, Ralts!" Cole exclaimed happily, leaping into the air and practically clicking his heels as he did so. Ralts levitated through the air and flew into his arms, both of them calling out into the air in celebration of their very first victory. Behind them, Brooke, Grandma and Elliot were clapping, both very happy to see that Cole had caught onto battling so easily. Dahlia sat still, quiet as a mouse, but a smile had managed to creep onto her face.

Grandpa simply smirked and kneeled down beside his weakened Pokemon. "You did a great job, old friend. It seems the young ones are stronger than we expected," he told the mushroom Pokemon as it stared at him. "Shroomish…" it said quietly as Grandpa returned it to its Pokeball. Then the old man stood up and gazed across the lawn at Cole and Ralts. "Congratulations, Cole, but that was just the warm-up. After all, Shroomish is quite old and not as strong as he used to be. This time, however, I want to come at you with my _real _Pokemon. What do you say?"

Cole looked at Grandpa, then at Ralts, who looked at him through her large helmet and smiled. "Ralts!" she told him, and he suspected he knew the answer. "Yeah, Grandpa, we'll do it," he said with a smirk. "We feel pretty good right now, so let's see how we measure up to your other Pokemon."

Beside Brooke, Grandma sighed deeply, and her granddaughter looked at her in surprise. "What's wrong, Grandmama? Aren't you happy Cole managed to beat Grandpa's Shroomish?"

Grandma nodded but continued to look ahead. "Greg hasn't battled in so long, I knew that he would enjoy this match with Cole. But it's been _years _since he last used his main Pokemon."

"Well, which Pokemon is his main?" Brooke asked curiously. "Will it give Cole more trouble than his Shroomish?"

"I have a feeling that Dad is feeling an adrenaline rush like he hasn't felt in years," Elliot said, intently watching his own father and son getting ready for the next battle. "Do you remember how he used to act, Mom, whenever he would battle someone in his younger days? I mean, you could _feel _the excitement and anxiousness practically radiating off of him. You could simply never find a person more ready to battle than Greg Richards."

Grandma only nodded in response to her son's words and laid back in her seat. "If he doesn't let his excitement take over, then Cole might stand a chance. Ralts has the type advantage, but even so, the

biggest difference between Cole and Greg is simply experience. The boy may have a chance, but that chance is very slim at best."

Brooke was growing irritated. "Which one is he going to use, then?! Tell me!"

Elliot smirked and patted his daughter's arm. "Just settle down and watch the show, honey. You'll see in just a minute."

Back on the lawn, Grandpa was most definitely showing signs of uncontainable excitement. In fact, Cole had not seen the old man this excited in his whole lifetime. _Just gotta keep focus… Trust in Ralts and everything will be okay. I can do this._

"Okay, Cole," Grandpa said as he grabbed the other Pokeball on his belt. "I will admit, I did not expect you to overcome my Shroomish so easily. But I think the time has come to show you that it takes a little bit more than luck and guts to truly win a Pokemon battle. Let me introduce you to my oldest friend…" He chucked the Pokeball into the air and released the Pokemon within. This one stood much taller than the Shroomish, and by the time it had fully materialized, Cole was starting to think that it might have been wiser to decline the fight.

The Pokemon that now stood before them was almost four feet in height, only vaguely resembling its predecessor, Shroomish. It wore a green mushroom "cap" that, in combination with the Pokemon's tan head and neck and green body, made it look like a mushroom with legs. Its lower half was dark green, while its stumped arms and feet resembled red leaves. Connected to its lower back was a green tail with several green seeds. As it stared at Cole with its big black eyes, the trainer wondered if he and Ralts really stood a chance against it.

"This is Breloom," Grandpa announced, his voice filled with obvious pride. "I have used him ever since a was a young trainer not much older than yourself, Cole. He may be old, but he still packs quite the punch. Don't you, old fellow?" Breloom replied by shouting its name and suddenly bursting into a stream of lighting-fast punches, its tiny arms stretching to incredible lengths and retracting just as fast. Grandpa continued to grin as he watched his Pokemon's display of power. "Breloom is both a Grass- and Fighting-type of Pokemon. He might look silly, but he is superior to Shroomish in both strength and agility. Still feel like going another round with us, Cole?"

This time, it was Ralts who made the decision. She hopped out of Cole's arms and then looked back up at him, once again showing her eyes to him. "Ralts!" she told him, even though he did not quite understand her. He lowered himself to one knee and stared at his Pokemon. "Are you… are you still wanting to go against them?"

Ralts nodded and gave one more "Ralts!"

Cole grinned widely and rose to his feet. Looking his grandfather straight in the eyes, he said, "Yeah, Grandpa. We want to see how far we can go."

The old man laughed; it sounded genuinely happy. "Very well, then. Brace yourselves! Breloom, go!"


End file.
